Police face-off on BJP leader’s arrest; political controversy erupts

BJP and Congress hit out at AAP, accusing it of involving in political vendetta

The arrest of BJP leader Tajinder Pal Singh Bagga by the Punjab police, where the Aam Aadmi Party is in power and his subsequent handing over to the Delhi Police by the Haryana police, the State ruled by the BJP, on Friday triggered a major face-off and political controversy.

While the BJP and the Congress hit out at the AAP, accusing it of involving in political vendetta, which their leaders said ‘humiliated Punjab Police’, the AAP hit back saying that under the BJP’s leadership, the Delhi Police and the Haryana Police acted in an unlawful way.

The Punjab police on Saturday morning arrested Mr. Bagga from his residence in Delhi in connection with an alleged inflammatory communal remarks through social media and interviews.

The Delhi Police registered an FIR following the arrest of Mr. Bagga on a complaint filed by Mr. Bagga’s father, Preet Pal Singh Bagga, who said he was manhandled and abducted by those who came to make the arrest. The FIR has been filed under Section 452, 356, 392. 359A and 34 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), which includes sections of robbery, abduction and house trespass among others.

According to the Delhi Police after the FIR, a wireless message was flashed and the said vehicle ferrying Mr. Bagga was intercepted by the Haryana police at Kurukshetra. “A search warrant was obtained from the concerned Dwarka court of Delhi, based on which the assistance of the Kurukshetra District police was taken to trace and recover the abducted victim. He is being brought to Delhi to be produced before the concerned court as per law,” DCP (west) Ghanshyam Bansal said.

As the Punjab police were on their way to Mohali with Mr. Bagga, the police party was stopped by the Haryana Police on the Karnal-Kurukshetra highway. The Punjab police alleged that it was an act of illegal detention. “... this tantamount to illegal detention and interference in administration of criminal justice system.” wrote Senior Superintendent of Police (SAS Nagar) in a letter to Senior Superintendent of Police (Kurukshetra) and demanded the police party, alongwith the arrested accused, may be released.

Later, the Haryana police handed over Mr. Bagga to the Delhi Police. Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal told reporters that the Delhi Police had informed the Haryana police (after the FIR was lodged) that Mr. Bagga has been abducted by some people from Punjab, who have taken him in a vehicle. “Our police were alert and they stopped them near Pipli. It was our duty to hand them over to the Delhi Police. During this, they revealed their identities that they were Punjab police personnel,” he said.